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Welcome to month seven of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally! If you’ve stumbled upon this post and are interested in reading more about what the Rally is all about, check out the post from our inaugural run when we all shared ratios and recipes for pancakes. This month we’re sharing our recipes and ratios for doughnuts or fritters. I chose to work with fritters, for which Ruhlman notes that the ratio is simply that of a muffin without the fat:

2 parts flour : 2 parts liquid : 1 part egg

When I was in high school, my mom randomly brought home a book one day. I won’t call it a “diet” book–it was more like a fitness plan. She read it and then I, curious, read it as well. It was a smart plan, based on solid science of the body, and we were both inspired. We knew we could be living and eating better (at the time, I was hardly eating at all), so we decided to partner up and start taking care of ourselves. Six days each week, we got up together at 4am and exercised, alternating between cardio and lifting. We ate several small meals throughout the day and I stopped counting calories. As part of the plan outlaid in this book, it was also required that one day per week be a free day.

And by free, I mean free.

Eat as much as you want, whatever you want, whenever you want.

So every Sunday we did just that, all day long until we couldn’t eat a single bite more. We would start off those free days by waking well before the sun rose and driving to the bakery at our local grocery store. More often than not, we’d get there before they finished stocking the case and would have to wait. No matter. After a week of tuna, turkey burgers, and brown rice, those warm, freshly glazed doughnuts were so worth it. We’d each grab a couple (it was a free day after all), but the only one I truly cared about, the one that gave those trips meaning, was my blueberry fritter.

It was just like an apple fritter, all knobbly and sticky, but with a purple tint and that heavenly berry flavor. I often wish that I had flown back and eaten a baker’s dozen before I went gluten-free. I never really got a chance to say good-bye….

But that’s the beauty of being able to create recipes (with the help of ratios!). You can bring yourself back to a moment, enjoy a taste of something you know you’ll never experience again.

These blueberry fritters are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with just the right amount of sweet from the glaze. While they may not be the massive doughy treat I once so loved, they definitely recall that time for me: the excitement of those early mornings with my mom, her foot pressing on the imaginary passenger side break as I drove us to get our doughnuts. Of course I can’t go back–and I’ll never have one of those fritters again–but maybe one day I can share some of these with her and we can remember that time together.

Blueberry FrittersMakes 16-18 fritters

This fritter batter, right up until the vanilla, can be used for any filling that you like–sweet or savory. If your filling of choice is particularly wet, you may want to reduce the liquid a bit, but feel free to add spices or extracts as you see fit. For my blueberry version, I like to use frozen berries because they help to give the batter a pretty purple tint.

Pour about an inch and a half of oil in a cast iron skillet (or a dutch oven or deep saute pan) and set it over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the millet, brown rice and tapioca flours, the xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the mik, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour to the milk mixture, whisking until thoroughly combined. Place the blueberries in same bowl in which the flours were mixed. Pour the batter on top of the blueberries and stir to evenly distribute.

Drop batter into the oil in tablespoon measurements, adding no more than 6 at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan. The fritters should take 3-5 minutes on each side to reach a very deep brown. It is important that they take this much time so that they cook through entirely. Adjust the heat under the oil as necessary.

Remove finished fritters to a paper towel lined plate to drain briefly, then transfer to a wire rack set over a piece of waxed or parchment paper to be glazed. Allow to cool at least slightly before eating; these fritters will hold up well over extended periods at room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk the confectioner’s sugar with the milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over hot fritters, using just enough to coat the top and drip down the sides.

This is a very very good month to be rallying. Doughnuts and fritters, people! Meg from GF Boulangerie was our thoroughly wonderful host this month. Please, go, run and check out all the other delicious links from the other participants on her site. Just a taste of what you’ll find: peach cider doughnuts, sweet pepper and pancetta fritters, and brioche doughnuts with italian plum jam. Swoon. (If you’re still here, kindly wipe the drool from your chin and start clicking.)

Heather, I haven’t tried them without the xanthan gum. When I first started baking gluten-free a couple years ago, I tried doing so without gum, and it wasn’t until I began using it that I was able to achieve the sort of texture and structure that I really wanted in a baked good–not to mention how greatly it improved the appearance! If the gums bother your stomach, I believe there are some posts on other blogs with suggestions for using flax or other seed meals instead. Or I am always an advocate for experimentation and would encourage you to use this recipe as a jumping off point and make it your own!

Britt, I love the story that you shared! Such a great memory, and also a good lesson: “free” days can (and should!) be part of a healthy lifestyle. Your fritters look awesome. I’ve just stocked my freezer with pounds of Maine blueberries to get us through the winter, and I will definitely be reserving some for fritters!

wow, britt. wow. those look awesome. [and glad my mom wasn’t the only one with the imaginary break on the passenger side. just as effective as the arm-across-the-chest “seatbelt” when she’d break hard when driving.]

Love the idea of a “free day” and those memories of your mom pressing the imaginary passenger brake to get donuts. I’m teaching two of my kids to drive right now and I wish I had a brake! Your fritters look so cute!

wow – a blueberry fritter! we don’t really have fritters here in oz, but oh my we so should these look amazing! can’t wait to be a bit naughty and try these (and the peach cider doughnuts and the chocolate chip doughnuts – gah! too many to choose from!)